Mirrored door apparatus



0. KAIN MIRRORED DOOR APPARATUS A ril 22, 1969 Sheet 0f2 Filed March 8, 1968 INVENTOR. 05 c0? Kfl/U April 22, 1969 o. KAIN MIRRORED DOOR APPARATUS Fild March 8,

Sheet 2 of INVENTOR. 05 C42 K4 #0 wv. i

NU 0d U DU @V 60? ww U Lu United States Patent 3,439,452 MIRRORED DOOR APPARATUS Oscar Kain, Los Angeles, Calif. (15001 Oxnard St., Van Nuys, Calif. 91401) Filed Mar. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 716,259 Int. Cl. E06b 3/00, 3/01, 3/26, 3/58, 3/32, 5/00, 8/00 US. Cl. 49-143 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mirrored door apparatus for enclosing a space. The apparatus comprises right and left mirrored :doors adapted to pivot respectively about spaced vertical axes and to enclose the end regions of the space. A central mirrored door, selectively slidably positionable between the spaced vertical axes, encloses the central region of the space. When the pivotable doors are swung open and the sliding door positioned between them, the doors together form three-sided vanity mirrors, the side mirrors of which are independently angularly adjustable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention The present invention relates to a mirrored door apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a mirrored apparatus for enclosing a space, the apparatus comprising a central sliding door and a pair of pivotable doors which may be opened to form a three-mirrored vanity space.

2. Description of the prior art 'Ihree-sided vanity mirrors commonly are found in clothing and department stores and are widely accepted for use in selecting new garments. Such threesided vanity mirrors permit a person to view his appearance simultaneously from several aspects, thus permitting a more realistic appraisal of the fit of ones clothes than possible when using a single planar mirror.

While the desirability of a three-sided vanity mirror has been appreciated in the past, such mirrors have not received widespread acceptance for household use because of the considerable space previously required by such mirror installations. As a partial substitute, the approach taken in modern homes has been to provide larger planar mirrors, evidenced, for example, by the wall-size mirrors found above bathroom sinks or by the mirrors installed on multiple sliding doors enclosing closets. Such large planar mirrors do have some advantages. For example, they permit more than one person to groom themselves simultaneously, and mirrored closet doors add a decorative touch to a room.

The present invention, by providing a mirrored door enclosure apparatus which is convertible into a threesided vanity mirror, permits the enjoyment of such a mirror arrangement in the home while requiring no more space than needed for a prior art sliding door enclosure. The inventive apparatus is useful for enclosing a large closet and permits easy access to all portions of the enclosed space. The inventive mirrored door apparatus is easily installed by relatively unskilled workmen, yet results in an installation of highly professional appearance, wherein the vertical edges of the various doors are substantially parallel to the enclosure vertical frame members. The installation is free of aesthetically unpleasing V- shaped gaps often encountered between door and frame when the prior art enclosures were installed by other than expert workmen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, there is pro- "ice vided a mirrored door apparatus for selectively closing and opening left, central and right portions of an access opening in an enclosure for a closet. The apparatus cornprises a central mirrored door which may be slidably disposed into open or closed relationship with the central portion of the access opening. Left and right doors, adapted to pivot about axes adjacent the central portion of the access opening, are individually selectively pivotably disposable in open or closed relationship with the respective left and right portions of the access opening. The pivotable doors also are mirrored so that when swung open they form, together with the centrally closed sliding door, a three-sided vanity mirror. The vanity mirror permits reflective viewing of objects external to the enclosed utilitarian space, the doors being selectively arrangeable by slidable and pivotable dispositions into a variety of angular positions relative to each other for varying such reflective view.

In a preferred embodiment, the central door comprises a conventional sliding door adapted to roll on wheels along a track extending from a lower horizontal frame member, the upper portion of the door being guided between opposed flanges extending from an upper horizontal frame member. Adjustment of the vertical wheel position with respect to the frame of the sliding door permits the vertical edges of the sliding door to be aligned parallel to the vertical edges of the pivotable doors.

Each of the pivotable mirrored doors is mounted by means of a lower pivot pin extending through a hole in the inverted U-shaped lower frame member, and an upper pivot pin extending into a bore in a block provided in the upper frame member. The weight of the swinging doors substantially is supported on the lower frame by means of washers separating the door from the frame, the lower pivot pin passing through the washers. Since the lower pivot pins are non-load bearing, the doors rotate easily with a minimum of binding. Appropriately locating the lower pivot pin receiving hole in the lower frame member and the upper pivot :pin receiving bore in the upper frame member insures that the edges of the swinging doors will be parallel to the respective vertical edges of the enclosure frame, even though these frame members may have been installed at an angle away from true vertical.

Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel mirrored door apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mirrored :door apparatus for enclosing a space, the apparatus also providing an angularly adjustable three-sided vanity mirror.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an enclosure comprising a sliding mirrored door and a pair of pivotable mirrored doors.

it is yet another object of the present invention to provide a mirrored door apparatus comprising a sliding door having a central closed position, "and two doors which are pivotable respectively about vertical axes adjacent the sides of said central closed position.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure comprising upper and lower frame members, a first mirrored door horizontally slidable along tracks provided in the frame members, and a pair of mirrored doors adapted to pivot about nonload bearing pivot pins extending into the frame members.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mirrored door apparatus which may readily be installed by unskilled workmen and yet will provide an enclosure, the aesthetically pleasing appearance of which normally is achieved only by skilled installers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Still other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment constructed in accordance therewith, taken in conjunciton with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts in the several figures and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of the inventive mirrored door apparatus installed in a wall so as to form part of an enclosure for a utilitarian space such as a closet. As illustrated, the apparatus comprises a sliding mirrored door having a central closed position, and right and left hand pivotable doors adapted to be opened, e.g., to the position shown in phantom, so as to provide a three-mirrored vanity space.

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view of the inventive mirrored door apparatus also shown in FIGURE 1. In this view, the apparatus is shown uninstalled to better illustrate various features of the frame and door construction.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view, in partial section, of the inventive mirrored door apparatus, as seen generally along line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevation view, in partial section, of the inventive mirrored door apparatus, as seen generally along line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIIGURE 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation view, in partial section, showing one of the pivotable doors of the invention, as seen generally along the line 55 of FIGURE 4. Various features including the pivot pin construction and the load bearing washers are evident in this figure.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevation view, in partial section, of the pivotable doors shown in FIG- URE 5, as seen generally along line 66 thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF "DI-IE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and, more particular ly t0 FIGURES 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown a mirrored door apparatus in accordance with the present invention. As illustrated, apparatus 10 comprises a sliding door 1 1 and left and right pivotable doors 7,2 and 13. Substantially, the entire front surfaces of doors 11, 12 and 13 are provided with mirrors 14, 15 and 16. The three doors are all mounted within a frame 17, which frame itself is adapted for mounting within a wall or the like. in FIGURE 1, apparatus 10 is shown installed in a wall 18 so as to form part of an enclosure for the utilitarian closet space 19 behind the doors.

As shown in FIGURES l and 2, sliding door 11 itself comprises a frame 21 adapted to support mirror 14 and 0 a handle 22 which handle may be recessed to permit door 11 to slide behind either of doors 12 and 13. Door 11 is horizontally slidable along lower track 23 and upper guide 24 in a manner described in greater detail hereinbelow. The closed portion of door 11 is intermediate the spaced vertical axes about which doors 12 and 13 pivot In this central closed position, door 11 blocks direct access to the central portion of space 19.

Left and right doors 12 and 13 respectively, comprise frames 25 and 26 adapted to support mirrors 15 and 16, and include handles 27 and 28. Left door 12 is adapted to pivot about a vertical axis adjacent the left side of the central closed position of sliding door 11. Door 12 may be swung from the closed position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 1 to an angularly selectable open position such as that shown in phantom at 12 in FIGURE 1. Similarly, right door 13 is adapted to pivot about a vertical axis adjacent the right side of the central closed position of sliding door 11. Door 13 may be swung from the closed position illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 1 to an angularly selectable open position such as that illustrated in phantom at 13 in FIGURE 1. Doors 12 and 13 respectively, provide access to the left and right end portions of space 19.

With central sliding door 11 located at the closed position between doors 12 and 13, the opening of doors 12 and 13, for example, to the positions shown at 12 and 13, provides a three-mirrored vanity space 20. That is, the mirrored surfaces 14, 15 and 16 comprise an independently angularly adjustable three-sided vanity mirror whereby a person standing in space 20 may view himself simultaneously from several aspects. The particular profiles seen by the viewer may be selected by appropriate angular orientation of doors 12 and 13. Such a mirrored vanity space 21) provides a significantly improved aid to grooming over the planar mirror arrangements typical in the prior art.

As shown most clearly in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4, frame 17 comprises an upper frame member 29, a lower frame member 30, and a pair of end frame members 31 and 32. Lower frame member comprises an elongate inverted substantially U-shaped member having a horizontal por tion 33 and a pair of opposed vertical flanges 34a and 34b. Track 23 extends upward from horizontal portion 36 and comprises a substantially cylindrical region 23a supported by a neck region 23b. Lower frame member 30 may be extruded of aluminum or steel, or may be fabricated in any other suitable manner well known in the metal-working art.

Upper frame member 29 also comprises an elongate, inverted substantially double U-shaped member having a horizontal portion 35 and three flanges 36a, 36b, and 360. In the embodiment shown, flanges 36a and 36b are somewhat greater in length than flange 36c. The space 24 be tween flanges 36a and 36]) serves as a guide for the top of sliding door 11. Upper frame member 29 may have holes 37 provided therein to facilitate attachment to a wall.

As indicated in FIGURES 2 and 4, the vertical portion 21a of frame 21 of sliding door 11 is provided with a narrowed region 2111 adjacent its top. Region 21a is slightly narrower in width than the internal distance between flanges 35a and 35b of upper frame member 29, and seats therebetween. An elongate strip 38, preferably of nylon or other similar strong and self-lubricating material is fastened to the top of door 11 by means of screws 39. Strip 38 permits door 11 to slide between flanges 36a and 36b smoothly, without binding and without the need for lubrication.

As best illustrated in FIGURE 3, vertical frame member 21a of door 11 may comprise an extrusion having a modified H-shaped cross-section. In particular, member 21a includes a first substantially U-shaped region defined by flange portions 40a and 40b, and a second substantially U-shaped region defined by flange portions 40c and 40d. An edge of mirror 15 and an edge of a planar backing panel 41 are both seated within the U-shaped region defined by flanges 40a and 40b, and are separated therefrom by a resilient gasket 42 of rubber, plastic or the like.

The bottom of frame 21 of door 11 comprises an elongate, substantially U-shaped member 21b. Member 21b supports mirror 15 and backing panel 41 and is separated therefrom by a substantially U-shaped resilient gasket 43.

Sliding door 11 is conventional in construction being supported by wheels 44 (see FIGURES 2, 3 and 4) which roll on track 23. Each wheel 44 is mounted on an axle 45 extending between the flanges 46a and 46b of substantially U-shaped carriage members 46. Each carriage member 46 is attached to the lower end of vertical frame member 21a by means of an appropriate linkage 47 which permits the relative height of wheel 44 (with respect to frame member 21a) to be adjusted by means of member 48. Adjustment of linkage 47 allows vertical frame members 21a to be made parallel to the edges of swinging doors 12 and 13.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, it may be seen that frame 25 of left door 12 comprises a pair of vertical frame members 25a and 25b each having a cross-section substantially identical to that of vertical frame members 21a of door 11. Use of identical extrusions for the door frames of course provides economy in the construction of the inventive apparatus. The left edges of mirror 15 and a backing panel 49 are supported between flanges 50a and 50b of frame member 25a and are separated therefrom by a resilient gasket 51. In the embodiment shown, handle 27 comprises a metal extrusion having a U-shaped portion 2711, one flange of which terminates in a T-shaped handle portion having neck 27b and top 27c. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, U-shaped portion 27a has an outside width corresponding to the distance between flanges 50a and 5%. This permits handle portion 27a to be inserted between frame member 25a and gasket 51. Of course, the thickness of gasket 51 adjacent handle 27 is slightly thinner than in the regions within frame member 25a above and below handle 27. The right edges of mirror 15 and backing panel 49 are supported between flanges 52a and 52b of frame member 25b, and are separated therefrom by a resilient gasket 53.

The manner in which pivotable doors 12 and 13 are mounted is best illustrated in FIGURES 36. In the following exposition, the mounting hardware for left door 12 will be described in detail, it being understood that the mounting hardware for right door 13 is substantially identical.

Referring first to FIGURES 3 and 5, it may be seen that vertical frame member 25b comprises a substantially U-shaped channel 54 defined by flanges 52c and 52d. Flange 52c is provided with a pair of longitudinal slots 55 (most clearly evident in FIGURE 6) adjacent its lower end. A similar pair of slots (not illustrated) are provided in flanges 52c adjacent its upper end. Disposed within U-shaped channel 54 is an upper pivot pin 56 and a lower pivot pin 57, the length of each pivot pin being substantially less than the overall height of door 12. The diameter of each of pivot pins 56 and 57 is somewhat smaller than the interior distance between flanges 52c and 52d.

As shown most clearly in FIGURES 3 and 5, lower pivot pin 57 is supported within channel 54 by means of screws 58, the shafts 58a of which extend through slots 55 into the rod comprising pivot pin 57. Washers 59 may be provided to ensure that the heads of screws 58 will not slip through slots 55. Note that by loosening screws 58, pivot pin 57 may be moved vertically within channel 54, the extent of vertical travel being limited only by the length of slots 56. The lower end of slots 55 are appropriately positioned so that the bottom 57a of pivot pin 57 can be lowered to extend below horizontal portion 33 of lower frame member 30. The upper ends of slots 55 are appropriately situated so that pivot pin 57 may be raised sufficiently far to remove end 57a completely from lower frame member 33 and from the washers 6i) spacing door 12 from horizontal frame portion 33.

In a similar manner, the slots (not shown) at the upper end of vertical frame member 25b are positioned so that upper pivot pin 56 can be raised from a position in which the upper end of pivot pin 56 is below the top edge of door 12 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4 wherein the upper end of pivot pin 56 extends into a bore provided in a block 61. Block 61 itself is attached to horizontal portion 35 of upper frame member 29 by means of screws 62.

During installation, when pivot pin 56 has been positioned within the bore in block 61, the screws (not shown) passing through flange 520 are tightened sufficiently to prevent pivot pin 58 from slipping downward. Similarly, when lower pivot pin 57 has been inserted through washers 60 and through an appropriately located hole in the lower frame horizontal portion 33, screws 58 are tightened to prevent lower pivot pin 57 from dropping so far as to strike the floor or other surface 63 on which lower frame member 30 is supported.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that a pivotal mounting is providing whereby substantially the entire weight of door 12 is supported by washers 60 and lower frame member 30, there being substantially no weight on lower pivot pin 57. Since pivot pin 57 does not touch supporting surface 63, there is very little friction exerted on pivot pin 57. Washers 60, which preferably are fabricated of metal, play an additional role in the inventive mirrored door apparatus and may constitute any desired number of washers for achieving height adjustment by raising or lowering the doors since the doors rest on the washers.

Since the pivotal axis of door 12 may not be exactly vertical, when the door is swung open to a selected angular position, the weight of mirror 15 may cause additional undesired rotation of the door. However, if washers 60 are of suflicient area, the static friction presented by the washers will counteract this tendency of door 12 to swing, and will ensure that the door remains at the selected angular position. The appropriate magnitude of static friction is achieved by using two or more washers 60 which also tend to minimize the magnitude of dynamic friction whereby relatively effortless manual rotation of the door is obtained when desired.

The inventive mirrored door apparatus described herein may be installed by relatively unskilled workmen, yet will present an appearance usually achieved only by skilled installers. For example, the vertical edges of prior art doors, when installed by unskilled workmen, often were not exactly parallel to the vertical frames, resulting in unsightly V-shaped gaps therebetween. The problem was particularly acute if the frame itself had been installed at an angle to the true vertical. In the present apparatus, this problem may be eliminated by using the following installation procedure.

First, frame 17 is installed in wall 18, taking some precaution that upper and lower frame members 29 and 30 are relatively close to true horizontal and that vertical frame members 31 and 32 are relatively close to true vertical. Next, the installer measures off along lower frame member 30, from its intersection with vertical frame member 31, a distance substantially equal to the separation between the left hand edge of door 12 and the axis of pivot pin 57. At this measured position, the installer drills an appropriate hole in horizontal portion 33 of lower frame member 30, which hole will receive lower pivot pin 57. Next, the same distance is measured along upper frame member 29, measuring from its intersection with installed vertical frame member 31. This measurement locates the position for the bore in block 61, which block is then mounted to upper frame member 29 by :means of screws 62. With pivot pins 56 and 57 recessed within the respective top and bottom edges of door 12, the door is placed within frame 17. Lower pivot pin 57 is then lowered through washers 60 and the hole in horizontal portion 33, and secured in place by tightening screws 58. Finally, upper pivot pin 56 is raised into the bore in block 61 and secured in place. A similar procedure is followed for door 13, the measurements being taken with respect to right hand vertical member 32. Finally, the vertical edges of sliding door 11 are adjusted to be parallel to doors 12 and 13 by means of the adjustable linkages 47 described hereinabove.

When installed in this manner, the edges of doors 12 and 13 may not be exactly vetrical; however, they will be parallel respectively to vertical frame members 31 and 32. Thus, doors 12 and 13 will open and close easily, and there will be no unsightly V-shaped gaps between the doors and the frame members. The resultant mirrored door enclosure is aesthetically pleasing, and includes doors which open smoothly to provide a three-sided vanity mirror having independently angularly adjustable side mirrors.

It will be appreciated that while the embodiment of the mirrored door apparatus illustrated in the drawings shows the access opening to utilitarian space 19 as being substantially planar, the invention is not so limited. Thus, the

access opening to utilitarian space 19 may be L-shaped and situated at the corner of an enclosure. In such an alternative embodiment, the pivotal axis of door 12 may coincide, for example, with the corner of a closet. The closed position of door 12 would then be at substantially a right angle to the closed positions of doors 11 and 13. Slidable door 11 may be opened by sliding it behind door 13. By swinging door 12 through greater than 90, closing door 11, and opening door 13, a three-sided vanity mirror such as that described hereinabove is obtained.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Mirrored door apparatus for selectively opening and closing left, central and right portions of an access opening in an enclosure for a utilitarian closet space, comprising:

left, central and right doors;

said central door being slidably mounted in said enclosure in selectively slidably disposable closing and opening relationship to said central portion of said access opening;

said left and right doors each being pivotally mounted in said enclosure adjacent said central portion in individually selectively pivotably disposable closing and opening relationship to said left and right portions respectively of said access opening; and each of said doors having a mirrored exterior surface for reflective viewing of objects external to said space, said doors being selectively arrangeable by such slidable and pivotable dispositions into a variety of angular positions relative to each other for varying such reflective View. 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the pivotal axes of said left and right doors are disposed respectively adjacent the left and right sides of said central portion. 3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprismg:

substantially horizontal upper and lower frame members, said central door being adapted to slide along said frame members. 4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein: each of said upper and lower frame members are elongate and of inverted, substantially U-shaped cross-section; and wherein said lower frame member comprises an integral, upwardly extending track along which said central door is adapted to move. 5. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein: said lower frame member comprises a pair of spaced holes therein; and wherein each of said left and right doors comprises a longitudinally positionable lower pivot pin adapted respectively for insertion into one of said spaced holes. 6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein: each of said left and right doors is spaced from said lower frame member by at least one washer, said lower pivot pin extending through said washer. 7. The apparatus defined in claim 5 further comprismg:

first and second blocks each having a bore therein, said blocks being adapted for attachment to said upper frame member in mutually spaced relationship; and wherein each of said left and right doors comprises a longitudinally positionable upper pivot pin adapted respectively for insertion into one of said bores. 8. The apparatus defined in claim 3 further comprismg:

first and second blocks each having a bore therein, said blocks being adapted for attachment to said upper frame member in mutually spaced relationship; and wherein each of said left and right doors comprises a longitudinally positionable upper pivot pin adapted respectively for insertion into one of said bores. 9. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein: each of said left and right doors comprises a substantially vertical U-shaped channel having a bottom and two opposing flanges, one of said flanges being longitudinally slotted; and wherein each of said upper and lower pivot pins comprises a rod longitudinally disposed within said channel. 10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 further comprismg:

at least one shaft member extending substantially perpendicular to each of said pivot pins, said shaft members extending through said slots in said one flange whereby the longitudinal travel of each of said pins is limited by the length of said slots. 11. The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein: said shaft member comprises a screw, the head of said screw being outside said channel and of larger diameter than the width of said slot, the shaft of said screw extending through said slot and into said pivot in. 12? The apparatus defined in claim 16 wherein:

the longitudinal travel of said lower pivot pin is limitable so as to prevent said lower pivot pin from reaching the bottom of said lower frame member. 13. The apparatus defined in claim 7 further comprising:

left and right vertical frame members extending respectively between said upper and lower frame members at the respective left and right extremities thereof. 14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein: said holes and said bores are spaced equidistant from the respective junctions of said lower and upper frame members with said vertical frame members. 15. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

substantially horizontal upper and lower frame members, said lower frame member having a pair of mutually-spaced holes therein, said lower frame member further comprising an elongate track adapted to receive a wheel, said upper frame member comprising a pair of elongate spaced parallel flanges extending downwardly therefrom; first and second blocks each having a substantially cylindrical bore therein, said blocks being adapted for mounting to said upper frame member in downwardly extending relation therewith; wherein said left and right doors each comprise upper and lower axially positionable pivot pins adapted respectively to be positioned within one of said bores and one of said holes, each of said left and right doors being spaced from said lower frame member by at least one washer, said lower pivot pin extending through said washer; and wherein 7 said central door comprises at least two wheels positioned adjacent the lower edge of said central door, said wheels being adapted to roll along said track, the upper edge of said central door being adapted to slide between said spaced parallel flanges. 16. The apparatus defined in claim 15 further comprising:

means for adjusting the relative vertical position of each of said wheels with respect to the said lower edge of said central door. 17. The apparatus defined in claim 15 further comprising:

an elongate strip of rigid, self-lubricating material, the width of said strip substantially corresponding to 9 10 the interior distance between said spaced parallel 2,807,192 9/1957 Von Berg 350-305 flanges, said strip being attached to the upper edge 2,852,816 9/1958 Spretnjak et a1. 49-143 of said central door.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. References 5 PHILLIP c. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner. UNITED STATES PATENTS 507,853 10/1893 Sutton 49 143 831,549. 9/1906 Garfinkle 49-443 X 350-405 1,078,502 11/1913 Herrmann 350-306 

